In the grim darkness of the Friday there is only war. And blood. And bowls.

[JasonPratt]

http://store.steampowered.com/app/294020/

Edited to add the YT version of the Steam trailer. Destroy the man who murdered your father and ruined your life -- by mercantile fantasy realm trading!!  :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

From its steampage (again that's Merchants of Kaidan)

About the Game
Regain your riches, restore your honor and punish those who have wronged you.

Merchants of Kaidan is a challenging trading game fused with lots of RPG elements. You start very humble, one cart, a purse of gold and silver coins is all that you have. Your task is to roam the world and search of opportunities to score some profit. Buy low, sell high - a merchant's motto is easy to grasp. And yet the job is harder than it seems.

A good merchant needs to know everything about the market, he is always on the lookout for a deal, always listening, always engaging and deepening his knowledge. He knows what forces influence the prices, what events affect them. A good merchant listens to rumours and gossips spread by travelers at inns and taverns; hoping for a clue, a hint where to go, where a good deal awaits. A good merchant surrounds himself with specialists smarter than him, people who help him maximize profits and minimize losses. He always expands his fleet of carts, he balances risks, calculates profitability.

The conditions are constantly changing, and supply and demand for different goods with them. Maybe you'd like to pay a cheaper price for furs in the summer, and sell them for a hefty profit as the winter is coming and people need warmth.
But is it worth carrying them for so many days, risking robbery, moths and taking precious space that you could use to transport something now and make a profit immediately?
Or is it worth to buy illegal herb in the out of reach swamps where it cost's next to nothing, and risk smuggling it into the city where you can sell it for an amazing profit? But what if the city guards want to control you? Should you pay a bribe? How big? Maybe the best course of action is to say that you have nothing and hope they don't find anything?

These are the types of questions you will have to ask yourself constantly.

Merchants of Kaidan has 4 story lines each with many quests. Main quest that brings you closer to avenging your father's murder, and 3 side-quest lines. A total of over 100 quests each composed of multiple steps.
A set of random events that influence your journeys. A storm on the sea, attack by dragons, highway robbery and many, many more.
Three types of transport of your goods: by roads, by sea and by flight, each has its advantages and disadvantages and a unique set of events associated. As you grow your fleet you can join a partnership and you'll get to manage 3 traders.
You can hire advisers each specializing in a different field. Their council will help you in a variety of issues. Some will show you shortcuts on the roads, some will help you fight of the bandits, some will council you on how to sail better and in case of a storm, how to minimize risks and losses. If you wish, you can also send them to school to improve their abilities for additional cost.
4 seasons of the year that influence the prices of goods, open some paths for travel and block the others. They also impact the way the game looks, each city has a distinct look at different time of the year.
Random blessings and curses that influence your statistics. They in turn affect how well you conduct business.
A set of artifacts that influence your statistics or can help negate the effects of random events.
A complex market fluctuation algorithm that include many variables such as: demand, supply, seasons of the year, localization of the city, random events like droughts or rat infestation.

A complex trading algorithm
Over 100 quests each with multiple steps to success.
2 out of 10 planned mini games that accompany events with next ones upcoming in the updates
Possibility to create a partnership with other traders and control 3 characters simultaneously
1 main and 2 quick scenarios
15 types of goods for trade with varying characteristics, some illegal, some perishable
Beautiful hand-drawn localisations.


We intend to expand the game by many elements. These are the things that we intend do do. We are of course open to every idea and player's feedback. With your help we intend to create the best trading game.

Adding several more 3D mini-games associated with in-game events:
- Mine penetration, finished by a fight with monsters
- Ruins penetration, where you prevent the monster from escaping
- Game of craps with other traders
- Defending the caravan from the robbers
- Defending the caravan from dragon's attack
- Evading the robbers (a tactical minigame based on hexes)
- Navigating the sea in the fog
- Fighting the pirates

Increasing the number of random events by about 3 times.
Increasing the number of quests to about 140.
Establishing your own sources of passive income like villages, quarries, pleasure houses.
Creating a partnership with other "NPC" traders that the player would command, each would have it's strengths and disadvantages.
Improving the graphical aspects of the game.
Increasing the size of the map with new regions
Ideas proposed by players.

Your name is Olivean de Calinn, and this was supposed to be the most important day of your life. Your father has been preparing you, for all these years, for this exact moment. Your 21st birthday.

You were finally a grown-up, able to take care of yourself, a person worthy of continuing your fathers' legacy.

He wasn't born into money. To buy his first cart, he had to work very hard saving every silver and copper. One trade after trade, step after step, he climbed the ladder, transforming his tiny one-man venture into a trading company of a rather significant size.

Then he met Van Talodd, the most famous merchant in the whole kingdom, and soon enough he entered into partnership. This enterprise proved very profitable, and Van Talodd promised your father something more precious than wealth. A lordship. Few weeks ago he left to the Capital – Ovoros – to accept the title. He was taking a little longer to come back than you expected, but recent weather was unfavourable, maybe he got stuck, or a road turned into a swamp... it happened all the time.

It was almost dusk when you heard the knocking to the door. A messenger, his clothes soiled with mud, brought you a letter. There was no lordship, your father was found a traitor, an enemy of the Kingdom, and hanged for conspiring against the king, after a very hasty trial. All his assets and estate confiscated and handed over to the person who exposed the entire plot – Van Talodd.

Suddenly everything became crystal clear, Van Talodd maimed him with promises of lordship, the only thing money can't buy. But his real purpose was to entrap your father and take over his fortune.

Instead of your birthday present, you got carts full of kings' sell-swords approaching quickly. There was no time to loose, you had to run fast and far. Flee from the men that were certainly sent to kill you.

That is only a beginning of your story, you're left with only your family ring that you had on you. Take a fake name you need to avenge your father. Follow the same path as him, grow rich and destroy Van Talodd. The road there is hard and long – are you strong enough to make it?


Kaidan is a fictitious world, that was once a home to a space-faring civilization. It's history is almost unknown. Only that, once they developed starships, they relatively quickly left the planet. And on the remnants of the old civilization a new one has sprouted. A far less developed. If not for the artifacts left by the predecessors, they would be no different than a medieval country.

[Huw the Poo]

Just for a change I think I'll play a bit of:

Dota 2

I just won a brilliant game.  Not only were we up against Pudge - I've never won against a Pudge before - but also we won largely thanks to me.  Playing as Razor, I crept around, whacking the enemy base while the rest of my team kept them occupied.  By the time they worked out what I was doing we already had mega creeps.  It was only a matter of time then, but I still got in a couple of kills just before their ancient went down. :)

[Nefaro]

Not sure what I was doing wrong then -- I had the All-In-One mod, and then installed the dreaded 3rd patch, and voila, all the team names and logos were gone (per MLB's insistance to Markus, apparently).  I tried reinstalling All-In-One but couldn't get it to work. 

My preferred way to play is with real MLB teams and minors but fictional rosters, so I'm not playing the 2014 MLB quick start, which may have something to do with the problem.  Anyway, it's been a few months since I tinkered with this, so maybe high time to get back to some OOTP this weekend...

If you create a custom MLB league, you may have to press the "Randomize Team Names" a few times to get the official ones to show up. 

If you don't have the official names tied to the teams, then the Logos won't display because they're specific to the team names.  So if you get the team names right, the logos will follow. 

[Bison]

Three times I believe is the magic number to get MLB names.

[Toonces]

I'm continuing my exploration of The Civil War with some Scourge of War tonight.  I played two of the scripted scenarios for Antietam, one from the Confederacy (major defeat) and one as the Union (minor defeat).  I actually thought I was kicking some ass in the Union scenario. 

So, it appears I have some studying to do.  I have to be honest, I don't know all that much about Civil War tactics.  I've read a bit of course, but I'm certainly missing something with respect to the nuances of moving troops effectively for the killing blow.

[Nefaro]

I'm continuing my exploration of The Civil War with some Scourge of War tonight.  I played two of the scripted scenarios for Antietam, one from the Confederacy (major defeat) and one as the Union (minor defeat).  I actually thought I was kicking some ass in the Union scenario. 

So, it appears I have some studying to do.  I have to be honest, I don't know all that much about Civil War tactics.  I've read a bit of course, but I'm certainly missing something with respect to the nuances of moving troops effectively for the killing blow.

Good choice.


Don't get flanked.  Keep your combat lines next to each other for extra support.  Don't let them get spread too far apart if you can help it.

Try to keep a reserve that you can swap out if your troops on the firing line get tired in an extended firefight.  If they get tired, they break more easily and are more vulnerable to charges.

As with most strategy games like this, you gotta learn how your subordinate AI officers handle their unit when given various orders.  Many of them can be quite aggressive, for example, so if you see them moving forward after you gave them a 'Defend' order then you'll probably have to give them a more stern one.  In the smaller commands, it still pays to know how your regiments behave when you tell them to do something specific. 

Many scenarios have a Victory Location.  There are some variable values specific to each one.  Those are explained in the manual.  Just be aware that most of them require you to occupy a small area around it with at least one regiment AND an officer before  you can score the VPs.  Many score VPs over time, so you must often continue to hold it with them.  This is one of the few criticisms I have of SOW - having to tie up a general on a victory location after your lines have already pushed past it.

It's a lot of fun, though.  Especially if you get into a big multi-player session (even Co-Op).  There are a lot of little things you can learn regarding strategies.  I've not really touched on them here.

[Barthheart]

Cardboard weekend. Unconditional Surender and RAF.

Just finished my first two play throughs of RAF - Eagle solo. What a blast! Got creamed the first time so had to try again right away. Managed a draw the second play. Great fun. And this is just the intro scenario!

Great fun planning out the days raids in such an order so as to totally screw the RAF's ability to respond properly. Still need to work out how to down more of their planes though my plane fer plane ratio is pretty bad.

[JudgeDredd]

RAF is a great boardgame. Well thought out, good, clear rules and VERY playable

[Barthheart]

RAF is a great boardgame. Well thought out, good, clear rules and VERY playable

Agree completely. After just reading the rules while playing the two solo games, I'd picked up 90% of the rules on the fly. By the end of the second game I was only looking at the Turn Sequence to make sure I didn't forget a step.

This game would be a blast to play two player.... Maybe I can come up with some way to do a play by forum double blind game..... hmmmmmm.....

[Nefaro]

I've only played a game of RAF:Lion thus far.  After the first couple raid days, things were mostly pretty easy.  So I'm guessing that the Eagle side is the one to be playing for much more challenge?

[KyzBP]

I'll be playing CKII until further notice.  Please observe and respect the Do Not Disturb sign.  Thank you.

[Barthheart]

I've only played a game of RAF:Lion thus far.  After the first couple raid days, things were mostly pretty easy.  So I'm guessing that the Eagle side is the one to be playing for much more challenge?

Haven't tried the Lion side yet. That's next.  :)

[Nefaro]

I'll be playing CKII until further notice.  Please observe and respect the Do Not Disturb sign.  Thank you.

I guess you've passed the learning curve then?  :)

[KyzBP]

I'll be playing CKII until further notice.  Please observe and respect the Do Not Disturb sign.  Thank you.

I guess you've passed the learning curve then?  :)

I'm getting there.  A lot of trial and error but even when things go wrong it's still fun. 

[Barthheart]

It's the most fun when things go horribly wrong!  :D

My son is gay, my wife is trying to assassinate me, my uncle is stealing all my vassals, the Moors are coming, the peasants are revolting (they certainly are!), and I'm 68 with a clubbed foot.

Ahhhh life in the good olde days.....